Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-03-10
THE RED SCAR.

rather pleased than otherwise.
had been writing up the quaint old
ruins of that strange land for New
York paper, and had turned my face
homeward, when / received letter
requesting me to wait at San Pablo
for future instructions.
San Pablo interested me- 1t was
sleepy old Spanish village, with big
cathedral, plaza with the usual col
| lection of adobe houses around it, and
a background of snow-capped noun
tains rising boldly from landscape of
torrid summer heats.
1t was here that met with the most
puzzling experience of my life.
| | was returning from solitary ride
among the hills. The declining sun
warned me that darkness would over
! take me if ] did not make haste, but as
could see in the distance the massive
towers of the cathedral, | felt no un-
easiness.
At one place my lonely road or mule
4 path skirted a deep ravine, which was
/ so choked up with thick, scrubby un-
! dergrowth that l was unable, to see
anything but tangled mass of foliage
and vines.
"A good place for an ambush" |
said to myself.
The idea impressed me so that |
spurred my mule, but, to my surprise,
the usually docile animal stood stock
still.
| "Senor.'
The voice rang out from the depths
of the ravine, but it seemed to be at
my ear.
| .sSenor, haltr'
As halted, on account of my mules
obstinacy, the command was unneces-
sary.
..Stand aside!' | shouted, land let
me pass"
just then | saw protruding out of the
bushes in front of me the muzzlc of an
old-fashioned blunderbuss, a flint-lock
weapon in very general usein Yucatan.
| A shudder ran down my spinal col
/ umn. | was unarmed, and the blum
derbuss was about the size of a small
/ cannon. Resistance was not to be
thought of.
Il surrcn,ler!' cried to my unseen
/ foe.
1.-The senior Is sensible said the
man with the biz gun, as he leaped
into the road.
! A rapid l,Us ciese scrutiny Of my
captor showed me Il Young man of
medium height, whose 1.-the, sinewy
/ figure indicated exceptional activity
and strength. He wore n homespun
cotton suit, and the face under his
sombrero had the brown tinge common
to all the Yucatanese who were of mix
ed Spanish and Indian blood. The
mans right temple was disfigured by
a peculiar scar, shaped like a crescent
and of fiery red color, Beyond this
! scar there was nothing remarkable
/ about his face. He had regular feat
ures, thin, cruel lips and restless eyes
like beads of jet
! Il will hold up my hands and you
can go through me" said l. pleasant
| ". You don't want the mule, do
youP"
1.-The senior is wrong. do want
the mule replied the robber, in q
| quiet, self-possessed tone. The senior
! will have the kindness to dismount
and. hold up his hands"
! As there was no use in wasting
words, l obeyed without objection.
The robber with quick jerk drew
/ my hands behind me and pinioncd
them with strip of rawhide. Then he
bound me securely to a tree. After
finishing these preliminaries he empt-
led my pockets of the loose silver in
4 them.
lis that all, senor?" he asked, in
deep disgust.
'.All have" | answered.
1.-The senior has my sympathy" said
the rascal, with a vicious grin But
the mule is something"
/ The robber turned my steed to the
right about and jumped into the saddle.
LET the senior be patient" he said
! as he rode off 'sSome traveller will
release him, and it is not far to San
Pablo. Give Francisco's compliments
J to the alcalde. Adios, senior, adios.'
And waving his hand he disappeared
around a bend in the road.
so this was the noted hlghwaNman,
I Francisco. for whose head the Cover
nor had offered heavy reward.
/ There was consolation in the thought.
f. No one would blame me for surren-
dering to daredevil who was con-
sidered match for any three men in
| Yucatan.
But my train of thought was soon
/ interrupted in a pleasant manner.
I Francisco had been gone perhaps a
4 quarter of an hour when a muleteer
made his appearance leading his little
burro along the narrow path. Hailing
the stranger, induced him to cut my
bonds and release me. The muleteer
told me that / escaped lightly. He
gave Francisco very black character.
If this place had not been in sight
of San Pablo, said he, 'sthe cnt-throat
would have killed YOU"
The next morning the little town of
| San Pablo was in a state of eruption.
/ Men. women and children rnshedpell1
: nscil tiIUuvh fho gtresfs ulrsfilg wild